


Know Him Too Well

by MissDrarryDawn



Series: The List [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Art, ESA, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, i actually got fanart for this fic im fucking sobbing omg, mental health
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23753152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissDrarryDawn/pseuds/MissDrarryDawn
Summary: Harry knows his boyfriend too well—it's rather bittersweet at times. But he knows what to do.//Completed//Word count: 1.8k
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: The List [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711096
Comments: 11
Kudos: 211





	Know Him Too Well

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheReadingWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReadingWriter/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Lia!

Harry knew his boyfriend too well.

Usually that was a very good thing, however, when it came to all the darkness and pain that ate Draco up inside, it was like a stab in the gut.

Because Harry _saw._ He saw everything, but couldn't speak about any of it, because Draco would never say a word himself.

Harry saw the guilt and the burden, he held Draco through the nightmares, and he pretended not to know anything—because Draco didn't want him to know anything. He didn't want anyone to know anything.

Draco would never say a word.

What Draco didn't realize, is that he didn't _have_ to say anything for Harry to notice.

And Harry noticed.

But Harry never said a word either.

Though, perhaps, he didn't _have_ to say anything....

~

"Hey, how would you feel about getting a pet?" Harry asked casually over tea one morning, though his heart was lodged in his throat.

Draco arched an eyebrow as he fumbled around to get some coffee inside him. He wasn't a functional human being until he'd had at least one cup. 

"Depends what kind of heathen you want to bring into the house." The blonde shrugged, and drew a soft chuckle out of Harry.

"Nothing special really—perhaps something small and furry." Harry half shrugged, carefully avoiding Draco's searching gaze. Harry could never lie to his boyfriend well.

"A pet is a commitment, Harry." Draco pointed out as he set his cup down on the table and took a seat.

"I know, I know, but I'll take care of it—" Harry started, but Draco just softly snorted:

"You can barely take care of yourself—"

"—and you work so much, I get lonely. It would be nice to have something to keep me company.." It was a low blow, quite a dirty trick, Harry knew. Draco always felt so bad about his work hours, that he wasn't spending more time with Harry. He'd cut his hours if he could, but Harry knew it wasn't an option. Draco's past made sure of it. Yes, it was a low blow, _but_ it was a necessary evil as it were.

Draco bit his lip and sighed deeply, and Harry reigned in his grin. He had him now.

"....Alright, fine. You can get yourself a pet—as long as I don't have anything to do with it." 

Harry let himself smile:

"Deal."

~

"A therapy ferret?" The bright eyed trainer gave Harry an odd look, once she got over him being Harry Potter.

"Yes." Harry nodded, serious as can be. "Could you train a ferret to offer such a service?" 

She tucked her brown hair behind her ears and chewed on her lip as she considered. After a long moment, she offered Harry a smile and a nod.

Harry left with a skip in his step.

~

Later that afternoon, Harry was browsing a pet store and looking at the couple of ferrets that were on sale.

They were all beautiful, but Harry had his eye on a particularly timid, snow white one. It was pretty shy around him at first, but once it warmed up a little bit, it was quite the little bugger.

Yes, it would be perfect.

Harry purchased it and thought of a good name on the way to drop it off at the trainer's.

"Snowflake. I'll call you Snowflake." He told the ferret in the crate he was carrying. He tilted his little head at the name and Harry figured he liked it. 

Just so, he'd arrived to his destination. 

After the pleasantries were over and they were seated, the trainer, Clara, let Snowflake out of the crate and took some notes on his behavior and character.

"Yes, quite a curious, although very calm little thing. Perfect, that will work well with the training. Is there any specific time by which he should be trained?"

Harry thought about it, a gentle smile gracing him as he reckoned a perfect date:

"June 5th. Is that plausible?"

Clara hummed:

"More than. Ferret's are rather intelligent, that's plenty of time. I must say this is quite a peculiar request. I've never had a case like this one." She admitted.

Harry chuckled:

"It's a pretty peculiar situation, really. Thank you so much." 

Clara smiled and shook Harry's hand firmly:

"My pleasure, Mr.Potter."

~

Harry knew his boyfriend too well.

He knew when Draco was lying about sleeping well. He knew when Draco skirted a meal. 

He knew things were rolling downhill quickly.

Harry knew the feeling of his own heart tearing itself apart each time Draco whimpered in his sleep, him being unable to bring it up in conversation the next day too well.

He'd tried talking about it with Draco, but, being ever predictable, Draco walled up, dismissed him for two days until it got to a point where they missed each other too much and Draco had curled up against Harry on the couch one evening with a grumbled _'not a word, Potter'._ And Harry had smiled and not said anything, instead carded his fingers through Draco's hair until Draco fell asleep.

And Harry had learned his lesson then.

It was not a topic open for discussion—ever.

~

As the month and a half until June 5th melted away, Harry grew restless.

There were so many uncertainties and risks with his plan, but Harry would brave any toil for Draco. Even if Draco shut him away like last time, even if he grew mad, Harry would bear any wrath if he could be sure the love of his life was okay.

Because Draco _was,_ without a shadow of a doubt, the love of Harry's life.

Harry knew that. He'd known for so long.

And it was that knowledge that gave strength to his stride on June 5th.

~

"Welcome back, Mr.Potter." Clara smiled at Harry and invited him in.

"Hello." He nodded his greeting, took a seat on the couch while Clara went to get Snowflake. She was wearing gloves for some reason Harry couldn't quite understand. As she carried him in, Harry noticed he had a small, blue vest on. There where words woven into it in bold white. _Emotional Support Animal._

"Here's Snowflake. He's incredible, such a clever thing. He took to training beautifully." Clara praised and placed Snowflake into his crate, joining Harry on the couch.

"Listen to me now, you can not touch him, because he is currently under effects of a bonding spell that has opened his mind to connect to the first person that directly touches him. Once he bonds, it is that person that he will feel everything of and will be servicing. I assume he is not for you." Clara explained, and Harry realized what the gloves were for. He nodded:

"You assume correctly." He looked at the crate. "Anything else?"

Clara thought for a moment:

"No, not really. Other than being specially trained, he's a normal ferret, with the same needs of one. Just take good care of him."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He had very little idea about any of this as he dived into it, typical of him, and had worried that Snowflake would require some sort of special treatment that Draco and he might not be able to provide him with. 

He was so glad to learn that wasn't the case.

Upon departing and paying, Harry took a pair of gloves and donned them, just in case. He wanted this to be _perfect._

He left Clara's training centre with Snowflake and an exhilarated flutter to his heartbeat.

~

At home, Harry made a special dinner, like he did every year for Draco's yesterday, and hid Snowflake behind the couch for later. 

It was quite late into the night when Draco returned, knackered as always.

"Hey, love. Happy birthday." Harry smiled into the kiss they shared. "I've got food."

"You've no idea how much I love you." Draco murmured through a tired smile that always melted Harry's heart.

"Come eat." Harry chuckled with a fond shake of his head.

They ate and talked in quiet, loving murmurs all throughout but as they finished dessert, Harry's stomach tied in knots as a dark fear flitted through his mind upon Draco seeing Harry's present, but he cast it away. This was too important to be tainted with such grim thoughts.

"Time to get your present." Harry grabbed Draco's hands and dragged him into their living room, despite Draco's grumblings of _'you shouldn't have Harry, you know I don't really care much for birthdays'._

When he sat Draco down, Harry walked around the couch and picked up the crate, brought it to the couch. He took a deep breath and spoke:

"I know you too well. That means you can't hide _it_ from me, even though you've been trying." Harry bit his lip, he knew Draco was well aware what the _it_ he was talking about was. He pushed on:

"And I can see how it's not something you would talk about, with anyone." Harry chanced a glance at Draco, whose face looked incredibly shattered, and he gently nudged the crate towards him.

"So I got you something that won't ever require you to talk, he'll just _know_ when something is wrong..."

Draco said nothing, he reached for the crate with a slight tremble to his hands, as he opened it, out came Snowflake, complete with his little vest and a curious mind.

Draco just stared at the little thing with a slack expression as Snowflake sniffed around and patted closer to him, staring right back.

Harry stopped breathing as he watched—this moment felt so fragile, he was terrified even breath would shatter it.

Draco finally moved and pet Snowflake, a small jolt travelling through the both of them. Snowflake's demeanor changed as the bonding spell connected, he immediately curled tighter against Draco's palm petting him. He didn't squirm or protest when Draco picked him up to peer closer at his vest.

A sharp intake of breath when Draco read the words had Harry dancing on eggshells. 

"...Dray?" Harry dared to whisper, and drew his boyfriend's eyes to him. 

Draco's eyes were shining, brimming with tears, and Harry froze.

"I don't fucking _deserve_ you—" Was all the warning Harry got from Draco before there was a body crushing him to the arm of the couch. 

Snowflake had slithered out of the way just in the nick of time, luckily.

Harry could hardly breathe from how tight Draco was squeezing him, but he couldn't be arsed to care about that, instead squeezing Draco just as tight. Draco was crying into his neck and Harry soothed him:

"Hey, c'mon on, it's alright, don't cry now, it's your birthday, it's okay baby.." 

Meanwhile, Snowflake had clambered up onto Draco's shoulder and was nudging him with his tiny snout. 

It took a while, but Draco pulled away eventually, wiping his eyes and smiling.

Just to see his smile, Harry's heart danced and he had to lean in to kiss him.

"I love you." Harry muttered against Draco's lips. "Happy birthday."

Harry knew his boyfriend too well.

And that's a very good thing, indeed.

~

 _Fin._

**Author's Note:**

> GUYS a friend of mine that i was talking to about this project went anD DREW ME FCKING FANART HELLO? They drew Snowflake and I am fcking mELTING omFg—
> 
> Find more on my [Tumblr](https://missdrarrydawn.tumblr.com/)


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